Ratchet tool-handle



(No Modeh) J SWAN.

RATGHET T001. HANDLE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SWAN, OF SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT.

'RAToHE-r` Toor-HANDLE.

SPECIFICATION for-ming part of Letters Patent No. 357,245, dated February 8. 1887.

Application tiled June 23, i886.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JAMES SWAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seymour, in the county of ANew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ratchet Tool-Handles; -and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to ratchet tool-handles, and has for its object to simplify and improve their construction; to produce, in brief, a handle of this class in which the number of parts shall be reduced and the construction cheapcned, and which at the same time shall be durable and practically impossible to get out of repair.

With these ends in View I have devised the novel construction of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecication, numbers being used to indicate the several parts of the device.

l Figure l is a longitudinal section of the device complete; Fig. 2, a section of the ratchet mechanismdetached 'on the line x x in Fig..1, the ratchet being shown as locked against movement in either direction, thus causing the tool to act as an ordinary handle; Fig. 3, asimilar view showing one of the pawls thrown .out of engagement with the ratchet, so that the device will act as a ratchet tool-handle; and Fig. 4 is lan elevation of a long-shanked screw-driver which is intended to be used with out the tool-holder shown in Fig. l.

It has heretofore been a serious objection to Y this class of tool-handles as ordinarily constructed that they were too complicated and expensive for general use, and, furthermore, that the ratchet mechanism rendered the device inconvenient for use as an ordinary toolhandle, the parts being so constructed and arranged that the ratchet mechanism was apt to shift while the device was in use. In my improved tool-handle the ratchet mechanism is all contained in a single case, which is inserted transversely in the widest portion of the handle near its base, the button or head by which n the ratchet-shifting mechanism is operated being arranged to slide across the face ofthe case,

Serial Norflo. (No model.)

so that when the tool is in use it is entirely out of the way and is not liable to be shifted accidentally.

l denotes the handle, which is provided with a central longitudinal opening, 2, of just sufcient size to receive the shank of a tool or tool-holder, and 3 a transverse opening near the base of the handle, which is adapted to receive case 4 and into which opening 2 extends.

5 is the usual ferrule, and 6 a tool-holder, whose shank 7 extends down to opening 2 and into case 4, where itv engages the ratchet, as will be more fully explained.

8 indicates a tool-for example, a screwdriver-the base of whose shank is squared `and tapered, and is provided with a notch, 9, which is adapted to b e engaged by a bevelnosed pin,'l0, secured to a plate, 11.

12 is a pushpin,the base of which is secured to the inner side of the plate 11. This pin extends transversely through the tool-holder, and its head projects on the opposite side.

push-pin, which acts to hold pin 10 in engagement with notch 9 and to hold the head of the push-pin in operative position.

The tool is readilyinserted by pushing its shank down into theholder until the bevelnosed pin engages notch 9. To disengage the tool, pin l2 is pushed in, causing pin l()- to release the shank of the tool. Case 4 is preferably screw-threaded upon a portion of its exterior, the thread engaging opening 3, by which the ease is held in position, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The case is provided -with a transverse slot, 14, (clearly shown in Figs. v2 and 3,) at the opposite sides of .which pawls 15 are pivoted, and in which ratchet 16 ofthe pawls are so beveled as to engage these teeth and hold the ratchet firmly against backward movement.

head of the case, theends of which are bent forward and curved into slots 14, where they engage the pawls and act to force them inward into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

lies loosely.` The teeth of the ratchet are preferably made square, as shown, and the points 17 indicates a spring secured to the inner 9 13 is a spring surrounding the shank of the IOO 18 is a spring lying within the case, which presses against the face of the ratchet and acts to hold it in position and prevent rattling.

19 is a slot through the outer head or face of the case, and 20 a rod or pin which is adapted to be moved in said slot. ner end of this pin is secured a plate, 2l, and at its outer end a head or button, 22, by which it is operated. 23 is a loose plate on said pin, which is adapted to engage the rounded inner side of the outer head or face of the case, and 24 is a spring between plates 21 and 23, which acts to force plate 21 inward and to hold the loose plate firmly against the inner side of the head, so that the parts are held firmly in position.

In Fig.'2 I have shown rod 20 as midway between the opposite sides of slot 1i). Vhen plate 21 is in this position, spring 17 causes both pawls to engage the teeth of the ratchet, so that the ratchet is locked against movement in either direction, and the device acts as an ordinary tool-handle. When it is desired, however, to have the device act as a ratchet tool-handle the head or button 22 is moved in either direction, as may be desired, which disengages one of the pawls from the ratchet, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and allows the ratchet to act. When it is desired to have the ratchet act in the other direction-as, for example, in turning out a screw-rod 20 and plate 2l are moved across to the opposite side of the slot, thus causing the disengaged pawl to engage the ratchet and throwing the engaged pawl out of engagement. The ratchet is provided with an angular tapering central opening, 25, and the opposite sides of the case are provided with openings 26.

In use either the shank of the tool-holder, as in Fig. 1, or the shank of the tool, as in Fig. 4, is passed through spring 18 and placed in engagement with the opening in the ratchet, the shank being supported on both sides of the ratchet in openings 26 in the case, which are of just suiiicient size to permit the shank to turn freely therein, but at the same time to give it firm support.

At the in- It will of course be apparent that the details of construction may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. In atool-handle shank, 7, case 4, having openings 26 to support the shank, and a ratchet, 16, within the case having a tapered opening through which the shank passes, in combination with pawls 15, which engage the ratchet, spring 17, engaging the pawls, rod and plate 20 and 21, by which the pawls are controlled, a loose plate, 23, through which the rod passes, and a spring, 24, bearing against plates 21 and 23, whereby the latter is forced against the head of the case to retain said parts in any desired position.

2. The combination, with the handle having openings 2 and 3, shank 7 in opening 2, and case 4, having an outer head rounded on its inner side and openings 26 in opening 3, of a ratchet having a central opening in line with openings 26, whereby the shank is supported, pivoted pawls engaging said ratchet, a spring secured to the case, whose ends engage the pawls, a sliding plate engaging the pawls, loose plate 23, engaging the rounded head of case 4, and a spring between said plates, whereby they are retained in position.

3. The handle having longitudinal and transverse openings, and shank 7 and case 4 in said openings, in combination With a ratchet within the case, spring 18,also within the case, which surrounds the shank and holds the ratchet in position to prevent rattling, pawls engaging the ratchet, a spring whose ends engage the pawls, rod and plate 20 and 21, which control the pawls, a loose plate, 23, through which the rod passes, and a spring bearing against plates 2l and 23, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signaturev in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES SWAN.

W'itnesses:

A. M. WoosrER, C. E. RUGGLEs. 

